"Yes. But he IS your guardian. Therefore, we can't get rid of him
with--well, with a club. He must be endured and made as endurable as
possible. And it certainly will not do to offend him."

"Steve says we must do what he calls freezing him out--make him feel
that we do not want him here."

"Hum! Well, Stephen is a nice boy--Malcolm adores him--but he isn't a
diplomat. If we should--what is it?--freeze out your uncle--"

"Please call him something else."

"Well, we'll call him the encumbrance on the estate; that's legal,
I believe, and expresses it nicely. If we should freeze out the
encumbrance, we MIGHT freeze him to his village, and he MIGHT insist on
your going with him, which wouldn't do at ALL, my dear. For one thing,
Malcolm would probably insist on going, also, and I, for one, don't
yearn for rural simplicity. Ha! ha! Oh, you mustn't mind me. I'm only a
doting mamma, dearie, and I have my air castles like everyone else.
So, freezing out won't do. No, you and Steve must be polite to our
encumbrance."

"I shall not get on my knees to him and beg. That I sha'n't do."

"No one expects you to. If anyone begs it should be he. Condescend to
just a little. Make him feel his place. Correct him when he goes too far
wrong, and ignore him when he gets assertive. As for getting rid of him
at times when it may be necessary--well, I think you may safely leave
that to me."